Ball-bearing and retainer therefor.



s. SCHNEIDER, BALL BEARING AND RETAINER THEREFOR. APPLICATION IIL ED'IEIB. 8, 1910.

978,223. Patented Dec. 13,1910.

M A-JSz-S: Y Away/'02? p "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

s'rnran scn rumnnnjo'r cnrcaao, ILLINOIS.

Y BALL-BEARING AND RETAINER THEREFOR.

To all whom it may concern:

. Beit known that I, STEFAN subject of. the Emperor of German and residing at Chicago, in the county 0 Cook and State ofv Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ball-Bearings and Retainers Therefor, of which the following is a complete specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a ball bearing having a ball retainer adapted to hold the balls out of contact with-each other. and which is so constructed that the space between adjacent balls is reduced to aminimum; to provide a ball retainer for ball bearings which. is

SCHNEIDER, a

ada ted to reduce the internal friction "of the earin and permit approximately 95% of the bal race to be occupied by balls; andito provide a. ball bearing having a very hi h degree of efliciency and which is not lia le to get out of repair.

A specific construction embodying the ini vention is illustrated in the accompanying Y vided,

drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a bearing embodied in this invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevation ofthe ball retainer with art of the spacers removed. Fig. 4 is a sidla elevation of the spacer to be i serted last when assembling the bearing. In the construction shown, two annular bearing and are of different diameters, so that when one is within the other they will be spaced a s'ufiicient distance apart to receive the balls 3. The-collars land 2 are each provided in their adjacent faces with a peripheral groove 4, which grooves form the ba 1 race. Each collar is provided with a transverse oove 5 extendlng from one edge of the co lar 'tothe ball race, and when said grooves 5 are in register, that is, when they are bisected by coinciding radii of the collars, they permit the balls to be inserted into or removed from the ball race.

The ball retainer comprises a ring 6 and ball spacers 7 and 8 mounted thereon. The ring is of such internal and external diameters as to ermitit to enter between the edges of tlie collars opposite from the grooves 5, and without contacting with the collars. The ring is provided with a plurality of angular apertures 9 therein, which are spaced equal distances a art,'and a1t ernating therewith are a plum ity of counter- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 2, 1910. Serial No. 541,430.

members or collars 1 and 2 are pro Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

sunk apertures or seats 10 for the balls. The spacers each comprise a plate of metal which extends inwardly from the ring 6 between the collars, and is provided in each side with a countersunk seat 11 for the balls.

The seats 11 are of such depth that they permit contiguous balls to lie very closely together with only sufficient space between them to prevent the balls from rubbing against each other. The spacers have their lateral faces, or those adjacent to the balls lying in planes intersecting at the axis 0 the collars, and each seat 11 has its axistat a right angle to the face in which it is situated, so that it conforms to the ball and reduces the friction of the ball therein to a minimum. a

Each spacer is provided at its end adjacent to the rum 6 w1th an angular stud 12 which -is inserte in one of the apertures 9 and is riveted over to holdthe spacer in place. Inasmuch'as the studs 12 and the apertures 9 are-angular the spacers are prevented from turning on the ring and are always held with their lateral faces lyin in planes coinciding with radii of the col ars. i

In assembling the retainer, one spacer is first secured to the ring 6, then a ball is laced next to the spacer and the next spacer is secured in place to hold the ball, and so on,'until the last spacer 8 is reached.- The spacer 8 is identical to the spacers 7, with the exception that its countersunk seats 11 have lateral extensions 13 which extend to the end of the spacer adjacent to the ring to enable the spacer to be inserted between the last balls.

The operation of the construction shown is as follows: In assembling the device the retainer ring is inserted between the collars and the balls and spacers are assembled on the ring, the balls being inserted through the rooves 5 into the raceway. When one collar I is held stationary and the otheris rotated,

the balls travel in the raceway and move the retainer therewith. Inasmuch as the retainer does not bear against the collars it will move freely with 'the balls and is subjected to but very slight strain or wear. The spacers provide individual pockets for the balls, and since and have countersunk seats for the balls they permit the insertion of a maximum amount of balls" in the bearing. Should/one of the balls break the bearing can still be run without danger until another ball can be inserted.

they are comparatively thin o th e form and construction may be varied spacers adjacent to where the ball is to be inserted is removed and the ball is inserted,

I, and a spacer 8 'isthen inserted between the balls and secured in place.

Obviously a bearing constructed in accordance with this invention will run with a minimum amount of resistance since a maximum amount of balls may be utilized in a given size of bearing. Obviously also many'details or om'itted without departing from the scope ofthe claims.

I claim:

1. A ball bearing, comprising an inner and an outer bearing member, a ring between said members, a plurality of spacers removably secured on said ring, and balls between said spacers, each spacer having cup shaped seats in its bearing faces, and one of said spacers having a groove extending from each seat to its inner end whereby the spacer may be inserted between the balls and lock the balls in lace. v

- 2. A all bearing, comprising a pair of annular bearing members, a ring interposed said spacers having grooves extending from its seats to the outer end of its stud.

3. Aball bearing, comprising an outer and an inner annular bearing member having ball races in their contiguous faces, a ring interposed between said members and having a plurality of alternately arranged angular apertures andcountersun-k seats, balls in said seats, and spacers having angular studs rigidly but removably secured in said angu.- lar apertures, and one or more of said spacers having longitudinal, grooves extending from sthec'outer end of its stud to the center of the spacer, In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name 111 the presence of two witnesses.

, v STEFAN SCHNEIDER. aWitnesses:

CARL RATHUT, FRITZ HENsELLiANN. 

